Summary of supervision of health and care services for elderly people 2009-2012

In 2009-2012, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and the Offices of the County Governors gave priority to supervision of health and care services for elderly people. In 2010 and 2011, supervision was carried out in a total of 325 municipalities. Using different approaches, the Offices of the County Governors investigated various types of municipal health and care services. In 2011, supervision of services for elderly people who had received treatment in hospital for stroke or fracture of the hip was carried out in 45different hospital departments.

During the same period, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and the Offices of the County Governors were given NOK 4 million in extra funding in order to try out new methods of supervision and to spread information to health care providers about the results of supervision.

As a result, the Offices of the County Governors have shown great enthusiasm in planning and carrying out these supervision activities. This final report gives an overview of their different activities.

The report is organized as a collection of articles. The articles present the findings and experience gained from supervision, and describe different methods and approaches used. The articles should be of interest to the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Offices of the County Governors, other supervision authorities and managers of health and care services. We hope that the articles can stimulate debate among service providers about what can be done to improve health services for elderly people. We hope that the report can also stimulate a well-informed and balanced debate about how supervision can help to improve health and care services in general. The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and the Offices of the County Governors have gained experience that challenges us to continue to develop our supervision of these services.